Bay Bridge

Special Needs Housing

Oakland, California (map)

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Special Needs Housing

6 units (studio apartments)

3,033 sf

.66 spaces/dwelling unit

$547,786

Developer: Resources for Community Development

Prevented from locating in residential neighborhoods by NIMBY-ism, the developer was forced to settle for a difficult site that fronts onto a street serving as an exit ramp from an elevated eight-lane highway located directly to the south. The site is also bound on the west by a barbecue restaurant and retail street, and the north and east by single-family homes.

Each unit faces the main courtyard and has its own front patio and trellis for residents to plant and decorate, encouraging individual expression and informal gatherings. The main court is divided into three smaller and more intimate courts by trellised gateways. As vines cover the trellises and the trees mature, these interconnected courtyard spaces become a quiet and rich 'garden of retreat' from the traffic and retail activities of surrounding streets. A lattice wall and sun screens, planted with bougainvillea, forms the front facade. This 'living wall,' along with the garden court with its smells and seasonally changing appearance, is intended to be a life-affirming symbol, promoting optimistic notions of healing and renewal.